David Rogers was a beloved husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle, and friend to so many. Our Mountain’s treasured “Log Doctor” passed away last month at his Zigzag area home.

Son of David and Annette Rogers, David was born in Tulare, California. He grew up in Brentwood, California, attended Brentwood public schools and Diablo Valley College. David moved to the west side of Mount Hood in the spring of 1973—and has lived here ever since. His first job on the Mountain was working for this area’s noted horse logger, the late Gordy Hiltbruner.

David and his sweetheart, Cynthia Dixon, exchanged vows in a special wedding ceremony in Brightwood on September 14, 1996. Last year, they celebrated 25 years of marriage.

In 1983, David established his Logs & Timbers general contractor business, with Cynthia working as office manager. In 2008, when Logs & Timbers became a Limited Liability Company (LLC), Cynthia became half owner.

In 1983, David also graduated from the internationally acclaimed B. Allan Mackie School of Log Building in Prince George, British Columbia. Legendary log builder and teacher B. Allan Mackie took note of David’s expertise and enthusiasm and hired him to help instruct his “Principles of Log Building” sessions at the school from 1983 to 1985. During the 1980s, David also worked for “A Place in the Sun” building new log homes for clients in the Pacific Northwest and Japan.

David was soon traveling all over the west, including Alaska, Washington, Wyoming and Montana, to implement his skills—his vision and philosophy—for rescuing and preserving historic log structures as well as building new log homes.

His Pacific Northwest project highlights include: extensive repair on the 1840 homestead cabin located just east of Ellensburg, Washington in the Olmstead Homestead State Park; log and roof repair to the Hemlock Sleeping Cabin at Oregon’s Silver Creek Falls State Park; and rescuing and restoring the 1874 Hewn Dovetail Church for the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation in Nespelem, Washington.

David also built the Cathlapotle Plankhouse, in honor of the Chinookan people, located at Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge, as well as the Longhouse for The Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde.

His local Mount Hood area works include several significant preservation type projects for the first nationally recognized U.S. Forest Service national “Heritage Structures Team” located at the Zigzag Ranger District. During the 1990s, David participated with this team to help implement extensive log repairs to the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC)-era Tollgate Kitchen Shelter at Tollgate Campground in Rhododendron.

In addition, David was hired to document, dismantle and then replicate and reconstruct the original 1936 log registration booth at the Eagle Creek Trailhead in the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. He also taught traditional log building techniques to the Heritage Structures Team assigned to design and build the Trillium Lake Kitchen Shelter—implementing the Cascadian style of architecture.

In 2019, David launched his Cascadian School of Log Building and Design. The following year, he began offering his Log Building Workshops as part of the Government Camp-based Cascadia Center for Arts and Crafts programing.

David leaves behind his wife, Cynthia; two daughters, Evony Hubert (Steve), and Amanda Gardiner (Clay); and three grandchildren, Bailey, Chiara, Rayce, and Chayce. He is also survived by two brothers, John Rogers (Teri) and Tim Rogers (Mary), and two brothers-in-law, Buck Dixon and Darrell Dixon.

David was preceded in death by his parents, David and Annette Rogers; his brother, Carl; as well as his mother-in-law, Benita Dixon; father-in-law, Bill Dixon; and sister in-law, Donnie Dixon.